Quercus backs government study on Setúbal water supply

Environmental group Quercus has welcomed the government's decision to study transferring water from the Castelo de Bode reservoir and the Tejo river to supply the Setúbal district. The organisation says this approach would strengthen water security and resilience against drought, technical failures and pressures linked to climate change, urban growth and the planned new Lisbon airport in Alcochete. It argues the option is environmentally and economically preferable to desalination, which entails high energy costs and harmful effluent discharge. Quercus is calling for the study, to be carried out by APA and Águas de Portugal, to be rigorous, transparent and to address ecological flows, climate impacts, cost comparisons and water efficiency measures.